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(No Model.)

8 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H RONGIER MAGHINERY FOR MANUFAGTURINGWELDLESS CHAINS.

agsuronr BY jog/r v mowers WITNESSES;

l 3 5 5 5 O N (No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 2.

H; RONGIER. MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WELDLESS CHAINS. No. 555,737.

Patented M21123, 1896.

IN VENTOR:

WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS AN DRLW RGRAHAM, PHOTO-H1110 WASHINGTON. D C.

(No Model.)' 8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. R ONGIER. MACHINERY FOR MANUFAGTURING WELDLBSS CHAINS.

5 No. 555,737 Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

I "I ll wzmessss. INVENTOM ATTOHNE 7.5

ANDREW EGRMMM, PHOTO UYNOWASMNGTONDC (No MbdeU H. ROITGIER.

MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WBLDLESS CHAINS.

a Sheets-Sheet 4.

N0. 555,737. I Patented Mar. 3, 189 6.

w vu ofi WI ME .5858.

W 5 4 Avon/ms 5 t e e h S m e e h S 8 R E I G N O R H (No Model.)

MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WELDLESS CHAINS. No. 555,737.

Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

IN YEN T08:

WITNESSES.

( No Model.) s Sheets'Sheefi 5 H. RONGIER.

V MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WELDLESS CHAINS.

Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

IN VE N TOE WITNESSES.

AN DREW BYGRAMAM. PHOTO'LITHCLWASNINGTON. D C.

8 R E Tl G N 0 Dn H (No ModeL') Patented Mar. 3

WITNESSES.

- ATTORNEYS,

(No Model.) -8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

- H. RONGIER. MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WBLDLESS CHAINS.

No. 555,737. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.-

IN VEIITOH:

WITNESSES.

ATTORNE Y8 NITED TATES PATENT rricn.

IIIPPOLYTE RONGIER, OF GARTSIIERRIE, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE PATENT VVELDLESS STEEL CHAIN AND CABLE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WELDLESS CHAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,737, dated March 3, 1896. Application filed September 3, 1895. Serial No. 561,369. (No model.)

To whom it maybonoern:

Be it known that I, I-IIPPOLYTE RONGIER, engineer, of Gartsherrie, near Coatbridge, Scotland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Veldless Chains, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machinery for the manufacture of weldless stayed chains from a bar of steel or other metal of cruciform section by a consecutive series of coldpunching and other operations; and it consists in improvements on the invention for which former Letters Patent were granted to me, dated the 20th day of October, 1889, No. 4153,7644.

The present improvements relate to the initial stageof manufacture, and have for their object to reduce the number of the separate punching operations necessary to bring the bar to the stage at which it becomes a ro ugh] yformed chain Without ceasing to be a rigid bar. These operations have heretofore been five in number, and it has consequently been necessary to pass the work through five distinct stages of progress and five distinct sets of machines. Moreover, as each set of operations has heretofore been performed first along the whole length of one pair of webs of the cruciform bar and then along the whole length of the other pair of webs, it has been necessary to pass the bar twice through each machine for each stage of progress. In consequence of the large number of machines required the cost of the plant has been very high, and owing to the length of the bars operated on great space has been required to accommodate these machines, and the great number of times which the bars must be handled in order to pass them through the various machines involves a great amount of hand labor and addsgreatly to the time and cost of production.

By the present improvements I am enabled by a single series of punching operations, performed at a single passage of the bar through a single machine, to bring the bar to the same stage of progress as that heretofore obtained by at least five different operations requiring ten passages of the bar through the machines, the punching being 110w performed first on the one pair of webs and then on the other pair alternately. Besides accomplishing at one passage of the work through the machine and in one set of operations the same result as that for which five distinct sets of operations and ten passages of the work through the machine were heretofore necessary, the punching operation is now performed in such manner that I am also enabled to dispense with the subsequent operation of trimming the ends of the links. This trimming operation heretofore followed the operation of breaking up the bar into a chain of links and required much skill and hand labor to properly present the two ends of each link to the dies for removing the superfluous metal left from the preceding punching operations.

In order that the operation may be more readily understood, Ihave illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, a perspective view of the bar as it appears after being operated on for a portion of its length by the combined punches, whereby the metal is removed at one stroke both from within the bows of a link and also from between that link and the adjacent links formed from the same pair of webs, the combined operation being performed on the bar alternately in two directions at right angles to one anotherthat is to say, first on the one pair of webs and at the next stroke upon the other pair of Webs the bar being turned a quarter around and fed forward a distance equal to the pitch of the chain after each stroke.

The mechanism whereby the operations of punching, turning, and feeding the bar are performed is illustrated in Figs. 2 to 14. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, Fig. 3 an inverted plan, and Fig. at a sectional elevation on line 4 4, Fig. 3, of the combined punches, Figs. 1 to 4 being drawn to a larger scale than the other figures. Fig. 5 is a plan, and Fig. 6 a part sectional side elevation, (both contracted by portions being broken out,) of the apparatus in the position occupied after the feed of the cruciform bar has taken place and before the descent of the punches. Fig. 7 is a plan, and

Fig. 8 a part sectional side elevation, (both contracted by portions being broken out,) of

the apparatus when in position to permit of the turning and feeding of the cruciform bar. Fig. 9 is asection on line 9 9, Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the apparatus when in the same position as that shown in Fig. 5. Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional elevations on lines 11 11, Fig. 6, and12 12, Fig. 8, respectively, showing the ratchet and tappet gear for operating the bar-turning mechanism. Fig. 13 is an end elevation of a gage to be used at the commencement of the work on a bar. All the figures from 5 to 13 are drawn to one scale. Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a punching-machine, showing the clutch mechanism through which the punch-operating shaft is actuated, drawn to a reduced scale.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have indicated the two pairs of webs constituting the bar A, of cruciform section, by the letters a a and a a in order to distinguish not the webs themselves, but the position they occupy for the time being with regard to the punches. Similarly the links of the chain to be formed from the same pair of webs will be distinguished as links of one series and the alternate links to be formed from the other pair of webs as links of the other series.

The removal of the metal from between the outer ends of two consecutive links of the same series (webs a a, for example) is performed in three stagesthat is to say, by three sets of punches acting simultaneously, but at different points in the length of the bar. At the first stage a pair of notches 1 1 is cut in the two webs a, a supported in the horizontal position on the bed-dies, as hereinafter described, said notches 1 1 extending the full breadth of said websthat is to say, close up to the webs a athe links being left square at the outer corners 2 2, for a purpose hereinafter explained. The notches 1 1 are made concurrently with the operation of punching out the interior portions 3 and 4 4c of the link immediately preceding the said notches 1 1 and concurrently also with the operation of cutting off the corners 2 2 from that link and from the previously-formed link of the same series, thus bringing the notches to the form shown at I these simultaneous punching op-.

erations being performed by means of three sets of punches acting on different parts of the bar.

As shown in Fig. 3, the leading pair of external punches b b, which punch the notches 1 1, as above mentioned, are followed in point of order by the internal set of punches which remove the parts 3 4 l, which punches are in turn followed by another pair of external punches c c for removing the corners 2 2. The internal set of punches is formed preferably of five punches (l e c e 6 combined and acting as one, but set so that the center one, d, shall come into action before the two pairs e, which may be set so as to come into action simultaneously or the one pair before the other pair. The central punch, d, descends in the notch 1 which was formed at the previous stroke in the uppermost web, a, and removes the core portion 3 of the bar common to both pairs of webs a a and a a, and immediately thereafter the two pairs of internal punches e e e 6 form the pairs of half-round apertures 4 4 a 4: in the two webs a a close up to the vertical webs a a.

It will be seen that the punch 01 makes an aperture of rather greater width than the thickness of the web by removing a small portion of the webs at either side of the core 3, leaving only sufficient metal to form the stay or stud of the link. This central punch, d, in descending in the slightly-flared notch 1 which was formed in the web a (now up permost) atthe previous stroke of the punch, serves also to control the accuracy of the feed of the bar and insure correctness of pitch. These punches may be made of the ordinary formthat is to say, with square edgesexcept that the punches e are slightly chamfered off on the edge next the web, at either side of which they pass, the object of so chamfering them being to insure the punchings falling clear of the work and dies instead of remaining adherent to the vertical web, as they might do were the dies 6 so sharp on the inner edges as to out against the face of the Vertical web after passing through the horizontal web for the time being. Instead, however, of making the other shearing or cutting edges of the punches rectangular, they may be beveled off slightly to an obtuse angle (thus making the face of the punch slightly convex) by grinding, after hardenin g and tempering, with a View to avoid liability of these edges breaking off in work, which they might do in consequence of inequality of temper, the grinding off having the twofold effect of removing the excessively hard and brittle arris portion, letting down the temper of the adjacent portion and bringing it to such form that it is less liable to break off, the shearing or punching action being, however, slightly diminished, so that rather more power is required than for a punch of the usual form.

The object with which the ends of the links are left with square corners 2 by the first pair of external punches b Z7 is that these corners shall afford points of support for the work as close as possible to the part from which the core portion 3 is to be punched out at the next stroke, and so prevent the bar yielding and becoming bent under the pressure of the internal punches at e e e 6, it being essential to the continued operation of the machine that the bar should be kept straight, in order to permit of its being turned round after each stroke of the punches.

Having thus explained the sequence of the operations, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the punching-machine, with reference to Figs. 2 to 14.

The cruciform bar A is supported by a pair of laterally-movable bed-dies B B and gripping-jaws C O, the latter being carried by and moving with the bed-dies and being adapted to embrace and overlap the horizontal webs a a of the bar, while the opposing edges of the dies B grip the lower one of the vertical webs a a, so as to hold the bar firmly in position during the descent of the punches, the jaws C also acting as takers-off to hold the bar down during the ascent of the punches. These dies 13 and jaws O are fitted to slide in transverse guides in the frame D toward and from the center line of the machine, and they are operated by reciprocating cam-bars E fitted to slide longitudinally in guides on the frame D and provided with inclined camsurfaces adapted to act on friction-rollers c,

carried by studs fixed to the dies and jaws B C, so as by the longitudinal motion of the cam-bars in the one or other direction to cause the dies and jaws to move toward or from each other, as the case may be. With these cam-bars is combined an automatic feed device and stop-motion. The automatic feed consists of a finger F pivoted on an axis f, carried by the reciprocating cam-bars E and adapted to engage with the interlink-notches 1 formed in the web of the bar,which for the time being stands uppermost, the feed movement of the bar being thereby effected (in the direction of the dotted arrow, Fig. 6) during the closing movement of the dies B and jaws O. The cam-bars E are reciprocated by a lever G, fulcrumed at G upon the frame D of the machine and provided with a pair of short arms h, whose ends engage in slots h in the yoke-piece E, connecting the cam-bars E. The lever G may be actuated either manually or from the main shaft of the punchingmachine. The finger F is put into engagement at the proper time with one of the notches 1 in the uppermost web of the bar A by a presser-roller 9 carried by an arm or arms g fixed to the lever G, the roller acting on the inclined end f of the finger. The lost motion due to the length of the slots it permits of this action taking place before the cambars E begin to move, the presser-roller g continuing to hold the finger F in engagement with the bar A throughout the forward stroke of the cam-bars E. On the return stroke of the lever G the lost motion in the slots It allows the presser-roller g to be first moved off the finger F,which, being left free, disen gages itself, through the action of a counterweight or of a spring f from the bar A, whereupon the cam-bars E are moved backward and the dies B and jaws C are opened to permit of the bar A being rotated. In order to prevent the punched bar bending under the pressure of the finger F or by its own weight, a suitable support (not shown in the drawings) would be provided for the bar to rest on after it has passed outof the machine.

The turning of the barA one-quarter round after each stroke of the punches is effected during the latter part of the opening motion of the dies B and jaws Cthat is to say, after the bar A has been releasedby means of a rotating guide I, mounted in the end of frame D, said guide having an aperture of such shape as to give passage to the bar A, while causing it to turn with the guide when the latter is rotated through a quarter-revolution alternately in either direction after each opening of the dies B and jaws C. For this purpose the guide is provided with a crank-arm t, which is coupled by a link 'i with a crank j on a shaft J, the radius of the crank j be ing equal to half the chord of the are described by the crank 2', so that the latter will be moved through an arc of ninety degrees at each half-revolution of the shaft J. Stops i or a spring-jumper i or some similar contrivance may be employed to insure accuracy of the angular movement of the guide I. The shaft J receives its motion of half a revolution at each opening movement of dies B and jaws 0 through the agency of a ratchetwheel K fast on the shaft and having only two teeth, these being placed diametrically opposite to one another. One or other of said teeth is engaged by a pawl K, carried by a pinion K loose on shaft J and in gear with a sliding rack-bar L, having a tappet-roller L, which at each upstroke of the lever G is raised by a tappet L carried by lever G. On the downstroke of the lever G and rack-bar L the pinion and pawl turn idly. The downstroke of the lever G is utilized to insure the descent, at the proper time, of the rack-bar L by a pin g carried by the former being so arranged as to strike in its descent against a suitable projection, as Z, upon the latter. The lever G, if operated from the main shaft, might be driven by a cam or by a crank-pin working in a slotted link of bent or curved form, so as to give the pause to the lever G at the lower end of its stroke necessary to allow the dies B and jaws C to remain in the closed position while the punch is in operation.

The punch-operating shaft M, Fig. 14, is actuated through the medium of an automatic stop-motion consisting of a clutch N N, which is disengaged after each ascent of the punch by the action of a cam 0 formed on the sliding member N of the clutch, and acting on a friction-roller 0 carried by a bolt 0 as an abutment whereby to force the sliding member out of engagement and put a spring or springs P into compression for throwing the clutch into gear again. The clutch is retained in the disengaged position by the bolt 0, and its release therefrom is made, through the interposition of suitable co-ordinating mechanism, to be dependent on the completion of the downstroke of the lever G or other organ by which the forward movement of the cams E is produced, so that in the event of a punching of metal accidentally preventing the closing of the dies B and jaws C the clutch will not throw the punch-operating mechanism into gear for repeating the stroke of the punch. The form of co-ordinating mechanism shown consists of levers Q and Q, Fig. 14, coupled together by the rod q, one arm of lever Q receiving motion from the lever G through the rod q, while lever Q imparts motion in the required direction to the bolt 0'.

In Fig. 14 the lever G is shown operated by a handle g or pedal g alternatively; but in the case of a machine wherein lever G is operated from the main shaft it would be advisable, in order to prevent injury to the dies and jaws when fouled by a punching, that a clutch-like coupling should be interposed in the length of the lever G or at any suitable point between the main shaft and said lever, said coupling being spring-controlled and so rigid as not to yield under the ordinary working strain, but capable of yielding under abnormal strain due to the above-mentioned cause, so as to avoid breakage.

It will be obvious that according to the arrangement described the automatic feed mechanism cannot come into action at the commencement of work upon a bar-that is to say, not until so many consecutive punching operations have been performed and the bar has been advanced so far through the dies B that the finger F can engage, as already described, with the first formed of the interlink-notohes 1. Up to this point the feed must be effected by hand. To insure accuracy of pitch while this is being done, a gagecollar R, having a peripheral flange 1', is clamped upon the bar A at such a point in the length of the latter that when the barA is adjusted so that its leading end is beneath the punches b, but clear of the central punch, d, the flange r shall engage with the first of a series of notches s 3, formed in the edge of a gage-bar S attached to the frame D and parallel to the bar A. The pitch of the gagenotches s 5 corresponds to that of the chain, and between each two consecutive punching operations the bar A is advanced, and with it the gage-collar, the distance of one notch. As the flange r normally prevents any longitudinal movement of the bar, the feed can only take place in the middle of the operation of rotating the bar--that is to say, when a gap 0", Fig. 13, left in the flange, matches with the edge of the gage-bar S, and thus admits of the advancement of the gage-collar from one notch to the next during the temporary interruption of the turning movement.

The operations of severing the bar into links, of bringing the links to a rounded section, and of compressing them laterally so as to bring them to the narrow oval form required, and at same time bring the two parts of the stud or stay together, may be performed as described in the specification of my previous Letters Patent aforesaid.

I would have it understood that this invention is not in any wise limited to the particular mechanism described by which the required movements of the punching, feeding, and turning devices are produced, but extends to all equivalent means of producing the same movements in the required order for performing the same operations.

I claim 1. In a machine for making weldless stayed chains from a cruciform bar, the combination in one holder of a pair of punches for interlink-notching the webs, two pairs of punches for punching out the bows of the link, a central punch for punching out the center or core portion, and a pair of punches for rounding the ends of the links, all of the said punches acting at the same stroke and in conjunction with corresponding bed-die's, on different points of the bar, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a machine for making weldless stayed chains, the combination, with a set of punches combined as described, of a pair of bed-dies adapted to support the cruciform bar under the punching operation and separable to permit of the turning and feeding motions of the bar, as specified.

In amachine for making weldless stayed chains, the combination, with a set of punches combined as described, of a pair of separable bed-dies adapted to support the cruciform bar as described and provided with separable holding-down jaws adapted to hold down the bar during the rising movement of the punches, as specified.

4. In a machine for making weldless stayed chains, the combination,with a set of punches combined asdescribed, of a pair of combined sliding bed dies and holding -down jaws, adapted to be opened and closed to receive and support a cruciform bar, as described, and a pair of oppositely-inclined cam-bars reciprocated together as one and acting on said bed-dies in order to impart to said dies and jaws their opening and closing movement, substantially as specified.

5. In a machine for making weldless stayed chains, the combination, with a pair of separable bed-dies, and with the reciprocating cam-bars and lever mechanism for operating the same, of a rotatable guide for turning the bar about its own axis, and of crank, ratchet, and rack mechanism, substantially as de scribed, actuated by the cam-operating lever on its return stroke, whereby the said guide receives a quarter-revolution concurrently with and just before the completion of the opening movement of the bed-dies, as described.

6. In a machine for making weldless stayed chains, the combination, with a pair of separable bed-dies, and with the reciprocating cam-bars and lever mechanism for operating the same, of an automatic feed device consistin g of a finger reciprocating with the cambars and adapted to engage with the notched bar during the forward or jaw-closing move ment of said cam-bars, and to disengage therefrom during their reverse movement, as described.

7. In amachine for making weldless stayed automatic stop motion for arresting the punch operating mechanism after each stroke, and consisting of a clutch, and a device for disengaging the clutch and retaining it in the disengaged position, and a connection between the said device and the mechanism operating the bed-dies, whereby the reengagement of the clutch is permitted only on the completion of the closing motion of the bed-dies, substantially as specified.

I-IIPPOLYTE RONGIER. In presence of JAMES ROBERTSON, R. LooKHART BRYDEN. 

